OCP Invests $18 Million in Morocco’s First Large-Scale Battery Storage System

Rabat – Morocco has taken another step toward a more flexible renewable energy system after OCP Green Energy powered up the country’s first large-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery storage facility at Benguerir.

The 25 MW/125 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), located at OCP Group’s Benguerir mining site, can hold enough electricity for up to five hours. Its activation marks the start of a gradual commissioning process ahead of full operation.

The project addresses one of the central challenges of solar power: production follows sunlight, while industrial demand does not.

At Benguerir, the battery system will allow OCP to save part of the electricity produced by its solar plant during the day and use that power later, particularly during periods of peak demand.

This will give the industrial site greater control over when it uses renewable electricity and reduce its reliance on power from the grid at more expensive peak-hour periods.

Once fully operational, the system is expected to cut the site’s electricity bill by 25% during peak hours.

From solar generation to energy storage

The new facility builds on OCP Green Energy’s first phase of solar development, which has already brought 202 MWp of photovoltaic capacity into service.

The capacity is spread across three sites: 67 MWp at Benguerir, 30 MWp at Foum Tizi, and 105 MWp at Oulad Fares in Khouribga.

Those solar plants provide renewable electricity to OCP’s mining and industrial operations. The battery system now adds another layer to that infrastructure by allowing the company to preserve electricity when solar production exceeds immediate demand.

The result is a more flexible use of solar power. Instead of losing the benefit of daytime production once demand falls, OCP can keep the electricity in reserve and call on it when consumption rises.

The battery can also support power-system stability through services such as frequency regulation and reactive power compensation.

Omar Kadir, General Manager of OCP Green Energy, said the project reflects the next stage of the group’s renewable energy strategy.

“Storage is the natural extension of our energy strategy. It allows us to reconcile the variable output of renewable energy with the continuous needs of our industrial platforms, while strengthening the reliability of our energy supply,” Kadir said.

He added that battery storage could also facilitate greater integration of renewable electricity into Morocco’s national power system by providing additional flexibility and resilience.

MAD 170 million project

OCP Green Energy invested close to MAD 170 million ($18 million) in the project, including the batteries, power-conversion equipment, civil and electrical works, technical studies, integration and project management.

The company selected Envision as the technology supplier after a qualification process and signed the contract in late 2025. The equipment order followed in the fourth quarter of the same year.

OCP Green Energy said the procurement took place at a favorable point in the battery market and allowed it to secure competitive capital costs.

The project also attracted international climate finance. The facility received $20 million from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), an initiative led by the African Development Bank that supports clean-technology projects, including energy-storage solutions.

The company said Moroccan expertise covered the project’s integration and engineering work.

The choice of LFP technology also reflects a focus on long-term industrial use. The chemistry offers thermal stability and safety advantages, while the facility has an estimated operational lifespan of 25 years.

Morocco looks beyond solar panels

For Morocco, the significance of the Benguerir project extends beyond OCP’s own electricity needs.

As the country expands solar and wind capacity, energy storage can help address the mismatch between when renewable power is produced and when consumers need it. Large industrial users such as OCP are particularly suited to this approach because their operations require a stable and continuous electricity supply.

The Benguerir facility therefore provides a practical example of how renewable power can move from intermittent generation toward a more predictable source of industrial electricity.

OCP is also seeking to develop part of the technology ecosystem behind batteries within Morocco.

In partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the group is developing lithium iron phosphate materials from phosphoric acid, drawing on its expertise in phosphate chemistry.

The research has already produced LFP materials and intellectual property related to their production and characteristics. The partners are now working toward larger-scale applications, with the longer-term objective of contributing to an integrated LFP-based lithium-ion battery ecosystem in Morocco.

For OCP Green Energy, the Benguerir battery project thus forms part of a wider shift: from simply producing renewable electricity to generating, storing and managing clean power according to industrial needs.

The subsidiary, created in 2022, has set out an ambition to meet OCP Group’s electricity requirements through clean energy while making renewable power a stronger pillar of the group’s industrial competitiveness and decarbonization strategy.